U of L Prepares Public Safety Response to Basketball Celebration

The University of Louisville campus police say Cardinal Boulevard will be blocked off between Third and Fourth streets before this Saturday’s men’s basketball game against the University of Kentucky.

An estimated 250 to 300 people gathered in that location following the game leading up to the Final Four last weekend, said Kenny Brown, U of L’s assistant police chief.

“The crowd seemed to take this area off to my right here around Cardinal station…seemed to be the place where the gathering was, so that’s where we’re going to step up and try to keep the celebration as safe as possible for after the game,” he said.

The role of U of L police will be to manage the crowd, which Brown doesn’t expect to escalate to a point that jeopardizes public safety, he said.

The university is preparing for students to celebrate no matter if U of L wins or loses, but Brown said he hopes they do so responsibly. Police will have high visibility in the area, including around 30 public safety officers, some from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Those on scene will make up around 50 to 70 percent of the U of L police staff, said Brown. There will also be coverage for U of L’s other campuses and locations.

There is no scheduled time to clear the streets, he said. That will depend on the crowd response.